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Chapter 18 · Verse 22 · Moksha Sanyaas Yoga

Bhagavad Gita 18.22

contemplative Karma & Action Jnana & Wisdom Moksha & Liberation

Sanskrit

यत्तु कृत्स्नवदेकस्मिन्कार्ये सक्तमहैतुकम्।अतत्त्वार्थवदल्पं च तत्तामसमुदाहृतम्।।18.22।।

Transliteration

yat tu kṛitsna-vad ekasmin kārye saktam ahaitukam atattvārtha-vad alpaṁ cha tat tāmasam udāhṛitam

Word by Word

yat which
tu but
kṛitsna-vat as if it encompasses the whole
ekasmin in single
kārye action
saktam engrossed
ahaitukam without a reason
atattva-artha-vat not based on truth
alpam fragmental
cha and
tat that
tāmasam in the mode of ignorance
udāhṛitam is said to be
Simplified Perspective

When action becomes a prison of ignorance—when we act without understanding truth, chasing fragmented results with blind intensity—we remain trapped in tamas, the darkest mode of nature. The Gita teaches us that action rooted in delusion, lacking real purpose or wisdom, keeps us bound to cycles of suffering and confusion.

To transcend this, we must examine whether our busyness serves truth or merely soothes our restlessness; in modern life, this means pausing to ask: Am I acting from understanding, or am I just running from emptiness?

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Bhagavad Gita 18.22 — BG 18.22

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Sanskrit text from the Bhagavad Gita (public domain). Commentary © Mahakatha.

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